Goodnight Kiss
by Truthmaker
Summary: Mal contemplates events of the past and their future.


Mal never ran anywhere in his ship. It was part of the whole "it being his ship" thing. Anywhere he needed to go he could walk. He was the captain after all; he had crew to do the running. Now, mind, there were situations when he'd been known to pick up the pace a mite: Reavers, feds, and such. Barring emergencies of that magnitude, being captain meant he could take his time and wander the ship if'n he needed to.

Today for instance found him in the cargo bay. He wasn't exactly sure what he was doing there but he was definitely _not_ watching as Inara again packed her belongings. He was definitely not shooting glances across the bay searching for a glimpse of her. Certainly he weren't trying to see Inara one last time before she left his life forever; he was the captain, he was doing captainey things. Those captainey things just happened to be taking place on the catwalk outside shuttle 2. It was just a coincidence really.

Mal was so busy being captainey that he had failed to notice the young woman now standing beside him. If River heard the unmanly utterance that had originated somewhere other than from him, definitely not from him, when he finally noticed her standing there, she gave no indication. She seemed much to busy studying some point at her feet that only she could see.

"Companion stood here, tried trading on her wiles." River frowned before continuing, "Failed. Had to resort, less subtlety." River looked up and met Mal's eye, "Not a lady."

"Now River, I don't care less what she did. Inara is always a lady." Mal didn't know why he felt the need to defend her but he did nonetheless.

"I'm not talking about Inara." River stated as if it were the most obvious thing in the world before waltzing off toward the cockpit to a tune only she could hear. Mal almost missed her final utterance as she passed through the door, "You don't play a player."

It wasn't till later as he descended into his bunk that Mal figured out what the girl was say'n. As his gaze passed his bunk the ghost of an image passed fore his eyes. An image of another girl, woman really, laid out there naked as the day she was born.

Inara's words from that day floated back to him, "She's had training. As in Companion. As in Academy." Inara's voice flitted through his head again, "She tried to seduce me too… You don't play a player."

River's ramblings earlier fell into place. The spot only she could see was where Inara and Saffron had met that night. Where they had waltzed their Companiony dance. Where they had…

Well the less Mal thought about that the better. Not that he could blame Inara. He remembered how Saffron had played him that night, how she was all naked and articulate. He remembered the kiss she planted on him, and how he barely had a chance to utter his surprise before the world had gone dark. But somethin' didn't seem right now that he pondered it. That drug had hit him like a ton of bricks within seconds. How had Inara managed to make it all the way from Shuttle 2 to his cabin and call for help before dropping like a log her own self? It just didn't seem possible. Then again where else could Inara have gotten the Goodnight Kiss if not from Saffron's lips? Where else could she…

It was days like this that Zoe appreciated now. Just sitting quietly, reading a book. It was one of the few joys she had with Wash now gone. She was thankful for the peace, not that there was much to be had these days. She was well into her book when she heard Mal a comin'. Zoe didn't know what was wrong, but judging by the look on his face and the way he was running, actually running, through the hall and the kitchen she put even money on either Reavers or feds. Or both. Quick as she could in her current state she climbed out of her chair and prepared to follow Mal into hell, again.

Zoe pulled up short at the entrance to the bay. Mal had not, as she had expected, made a beeline for the open hatch. He also had not gone to the weapons locker. Mal had as matter of fact turned right off the main catwalk and was walking, barging really, into Inara's shuttle. She smiled and returned to her book. As emergencies went this one wouldn't need her intervention.


End file.
